Pope Francis will meet abuse survivors in Ireland

Cindy Wooden|
Catholic News Service

8/21/18

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis will meet survivors of sexual abuse
during his trip to Ireland Aug. 25-26, but it will be up to the survivors to
decide whether any information about the meeting will be released, said the
director of the Vatican press office.

Greg Burke, press director, told reporters Aug. 21 that from the
moment the Vatican decided the World Meeting of Families 2018 would be in
Dublin, it was clear that the pope would have to acknowledge the crimes
committed against thousands of Irish Catholics by priests in parishes and by
priests, religious brothers and nuns in schools, orphanages and other
institutions.

The date, time and location of the meeting and the list of
survivors invited will not be released until after the meeting, and then only
with the permission of the survivors taking part, Burke said.

Pope Francis wants the trip to focus on families, Burke said,
which is why he is not going to Northern Ireland on the same visit. Even the
moments dictated by protocol — for example, meetings with government officials —
will focus on the family, he said.

Asked whether the pope and the Vatican were concerned that with
renewed media attention on clerical sexual abuse the theme would overshadow the
pope's focus on the family, Burke responded, "Any trip to Ireland was not
only going to be about the family."

"The pope is well rested and ready and wants to talk about
the family," Burke said.

However, in discussing the individual events on the pope's
schedule in Ireland, the spokesman also mentioned that Aug. 25 Pope Francis
would begin his visit to Dublin's co-cathedral by praying silently before a
candle in the Blessed Sacrament chapel that burns for the abuse survivors.

Without providing details, Burke also said the pope would talk
about abuse in at least one of his speeches during the trip.